1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote control mirror for automobiles, such as a door mirror, a fender mirror, and a rearview mirror. In the claims and the specification, the xe2x80x9cright and leftxe2x80x9d or the xe2x80x9cright and left directionxe2x80x9d refers to the xe2x80x9cright and leftxe2x80x9d or the xe2x80x9cright and left directionxe2x80x9d around the vertical axis with the remote control mirror mounted on an automobile. Moreover, the xe2x80x9cup and downxe2x80x9d or the xe2x80x9cup and down directionxe2x80x9d refers to the xe2x80x9cright and leftxe2x80x9d or the xe2x80x9cright and left directionxe2x80x9d around the horizontal axis with the remote control mirror mounted on the automobile.
2) Description of the Related Art
Conventional remote control mirror for automobiles have been disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,555, U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,321 and the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2000-118304.
A remote control mirror generally comprises a power unit and a mirror unit mounted on the power unit tiltably. The power unit comprises a housing, a motor housed in the housing, a moving rod mounted on the housing movably and interlocked with the mirror unit, a deceleration mechanism and a moving mechanism provided between the motor and the moving rod. When the motor is driven by the remote control, the moving rod is moved via the deceleration mechanism and the moving mechanism so as to tilt the mirror unit.
In the remote control mirror, it is important that the load on the motor or the deceleration mechanism can be alleviated at the time the moving rod is disposed at the most receded position, and that slip off of the moving rod from the other members can be prevented at the time the moving rod is disposed at the most advanced position.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a remote control mirror, which can alleviate the load on a motor or a deceleration mechanism at the time a moving rod is disposed at the most receded position, and can prevent slip off of the moving rod from the other members at the time the moving rod is disposed at the most advanced position.
The remote control mirror according to one aspect of the invention comprises a stopper to be contacted with the moving rod before it is located at the most receded position such that the elastic engagement between a female screw and an elastic engaging nail is in the state capable of clutch slipping, between the housing and the moving rod. As a result, according to the above aspect, since the elastic engagement between the female screw and the elastic engaging nail can be clutch slipped before the moving rod is located at the most receded position, the load on the motor or the deceleration mechanism can be alleviated at the time the moving rod is located at the most receded position.
The remote control mirror according to another aspect of the invention comprises a fall-off preventing unit to be contacted with the moving rod at the time the moving rod is located at the most advanced position for preventing fall-off of the moving rod from the other member between the moving rod and another member. As a result, according to the above aspect, since the fall-off preventing unit is contacted with the moving rod when it is located at the most advanced position, fall-off of the moving rod from the other member can be prevented at the time the moving rod is located at the most advanced position.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are specifically set forth in or will become apparent from the following detailed descriptions of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.